FAQ

Pistol Cerakote can be ordered online: choose your parts and colors, and check out. Everything else (other Cerakote and DuraCoat work, laser engraving, NFA engraving, stippling, slide cuts, barrel porting, polymer repair, and custom grips) starts with a quick quote. Tell us about your project, and we confirm the price and turnaround by email or text before you ship anything. Quoted work is paid by invoice before work begins.

No. Service work is shipping only, both ways. We do not take in-person drop-offs or pickups for service work. FFL transfers are different: those are picked up in person, by appointment only.

A color name helps, but a reference photo or an idea is enough to start. We stock more than 200 Cerakote colors, can order any color in the Cerakote catalog, and can mix a custom color to match your idea.

Most projects are finished and shipped within one week of arriving. If your color is not in stock, allow an extra two to three days. Turnaround is a target, not a guarantee, so choose your color before you ship and we can have it on hand.

Every pistol price includes:

• Full disassembly
• Ultrasonic cleaning and surface prep
• Cerakote application and cure
• Final clean and lubrication
• Reassembly and fitting
• A function check (no live fire)

See all prices on our Cerakote page.

So we can make sure tolerances stay right and your pistol fits and cycles properly once the coating is on.

Our prices and any additional charges are completely transparent. Round-trip insured UPS shipping ($99.99) is added at checkout. Most additional charges come up when a firearm arrives excessively dirty and needs extra prep work (extra cleaning starts at $39.99). In any case, we contact you and give you the details in writing (by email or text), and any additional charge must be paid before work begins.

No. We do a function check after reassembly, but we do not live-fire. Have your firearm checked by a qualified gunsmith before you use it.

It may. Refinishing, engraving, or modifying a firearm can void the manufacturer’s warranty. Check with the manufacturer if that matters to you.

Yes. We engrave Stanley and YETI tumblers, Magslider drinkware, gifts, your own items, and branded pieces for businesses. See Laser Engraving.

Just ask! We will listen to your wildest ideas, then confirm what is possible, the price, and the turnaround by email or text before you ship anything.

After you check out (or approve your quote), we email you a prepaid, insured UPS label and packing instructions. You provide the box. Step-by-step instructions are on our How to Ship Your Firearm page.

All states, including California. We do not ship to Puerto Rico, Guam, or other U.S. territories. For Alaska or Hawaii, choose the matching shipping option at checkout. You are responsible for knowing that you can legally own and receive your item where you live.

No. We do not use USPS, and we do not recommend it for shipping any items to or from anywhere. Firearms ship by UPS.

Yes. Our prepaid label and our return shipment are both insured UPS shipments. Returns require an adult signature (21 or older).

No. ATF regulations require us to return your firearm directly to you, at the address on the ID you send with it. If we cannot ship it to that address, we ship it to an FFL near you, who transfers it back to you. Any fees that FFL charges are your responsibility.

$34.99 per firearm for a standard transfer (processed within 2 business days of arrival), or $49.99 expedited (same business day, and we call and email you). See all prices and rules on our FFL Transfers page.

Handguns can be transferred only to Texas residents. Rifles and shotguns can be transferred to residents of other states where that state’s laws allow it.

No. A customer with a valid Texas License to Carry does not need a NICS background check. Bring your license to pickup.

Storage starts on day 11, counted from the day your item is received and logged in our bound book: $24.99 through the end of that month, then $49.99 on the 1st of each month. No item is transferred on or after day 90. The full rules are on the FFL Transfers page.

By appointment only. When we tell you your item is ready, reply or call to set a time. Bring a valid government photo ID, and your Texas License to Carry if you have one.

Online orders are paid by card at checkout. Quoted work is paid by invoice before work begins. Sales tax is added where required by law.

No. All sales are final, and Lightning Armory does not accept returns. See our Returns Policy.

Orders usually cannot be cancelled once placed. When a cancellation is possible, a 25% fee applies, and service orders cannot be cancelled once work has begun. Call 512.838.3400 to cancel; please do not rely on email.

Yes. Create an account with your email and mobile number and opt in to our emails and texts, and you get a one-time code for 10% off a service or $10 off one FFL transfer.

It is stored privately, can be viewed only by Lightning Armory staff, and is deleted 30 days after your order is completed or cancelled. See our Privacy Policy.

You must be 18 or older to use this website. Some purchases and transfers have higher age limits. For example, federal law requires you to be 21 or older to buy a handgun from an FFL.